What they say

Participants of "Shanxi in the eyes of international friends", jointly held by the Shanxi Tourism Bureau and China Daily, share their insights following the conclusion of the event in late September.

"After touring in Shanxi, a picturesque place in northern China, I think I can describe it as a place that exudes a rhythm and beat of ancient beauty; a historically-rich place that leaves you in a state of awe and with a feeling of ecstasy; a place where the landscape is the realization of an idyllic vision."

Mike Murefu, from Zimbabwe, a geo-information engineer and master's degree student, Jilin University

"I worked in Shanxi from 1995-1997 and 2004-10. I traveled throughout Shanxi and become enchanted by her ancient history and culture. Shanxi is an amazing place and I have felt the embrace of hospitality that has made Shanxi my hometown, or laojia. This trip was truly amazing and gave me a huge appreciation again for the history of Shanxi and what wonders it holds. Truly, Shanxi has much to offer the world and much that should be seen and preserved."

Michael Stren, from the US, a social studies teacher, International School of Qingdao

"Tourists who come to Shanxi want to see people at their daily work, special Chinese crafts, traditional dancing and places steeped in exciting history. They want to hear traditional songs and stories. They want to experience the old China that existed before modern cities and industry flooded over it. They want to see an ox pulling a plough and a farmer cutting maize. They are captivated by Chinese and Buddhist art and sculpture, ancient architecture, walls and old forts. Shanxi has all this, as well as the comfort and commercialism of its modernized cities."

Ted Mason, from the UK, education adviser, Tongbao Yujie School

"I began my journey to discover the beauty of Shanxi by first visiting Jifen Bridge, in Taiyuan, provincial capital. The amazing view from the pedestrian bridge at dusk captivated our group. All of us took out our cameras and mobile phones to capture both the beautiful scenery and the unique architecture of the bridge. The Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple, renowned as treasures of traditional Chinese art, were the highlights of the visit to Datong. Traveling to Shanxi was worth every minute because it left me with beautiful memories of stunning scenery and culture that evoked the feeling of ancient China."

Sheila Sofian, from Indonesia, a student at Beijing Language and Culture University

"We had the opportunity to see how amazingly intriguing designs are cut out and hand-painted by local craftsmen at Guangling Paper-Cutting Industrial Park. Paper-cutting is a painstaking art that is now listed as part of China's intangible cultural heritage. The visit was so interesting that none of us wanted to leave; we were drawn to the intricacy and precision of this work and had so many questions to ask that we had to push back our planned departure time."

Maria Papaioannou, from the UK, a foreign language teacher, Jilin University

"The quantity of breathtaking architecture and murals, along with courtyards, pavilions, temples, shrines and relics makes Shanxi akin to a museum of ancient architecture in China. During the trip I was truly amazed as this was history unfolding in front of my eyes."

Khyati Shah, from India, a freelance writer in Shanghai

"On paper, Shanxi may not seem like an obvious choice of destination for laowai, or foreigners, looking to escape the bleakness of the bustling metropolises they call home. However, as seasoned travellers know, sometimes it's the places you least expect to wow you that make the strongest impression and Shanxi is just that kind of place."

Nick Walsh, from New Zealand, web editor and PR manager at Ctrip

(China Daily 10/19/2016 page6)